The case has yet to be made for regime change in North Korea. By any standard, its time to unify the peninsula. Team Trump continues its diplomatic initiatives, but that track will exhaust itself quickly, if only to confirm how weak our alliances continue. Without having robust reform with America leading, the vast majority of Asian political economies cannot, will not sustain any longterm held initiative against Beijing or Pyongyang. Even still, we can’t go it alone. The case must be made for regime change and Moscow, Tehran and the bus load of autocratic clowns that dominate the world must be given a lesson in American resolve.

The July 04, the launch of a two stage ICBM openly threatens western interests. Moscow, Beijing, Pyongyang, Tehran and other are watching. Diplomatic initiatives alone aren’t credible, nor are sanctions, especially given how isolated Pyongyang remains from globalized norms. If we fail to credibly threaten Beijing and Pyongyang, U.S. threat deterrents will fold up. This scenario is unfolding before us now.

The best open source platform for understanding North Korea remains ’38 North. Dr. John Schilling’s research proves that Pyongyang’s proxy in Beijing uses North Korean belligerence as a wedge opening geo-strategic fissures exploited by autocratic regimes. Its working. As of this writing we’re losing. The only way forward is to build the case for unifying the peninsula.

The world’s autocracies have taken the measure of the west and discerned that we won’t fight. Are they right?

South Korean leadership remains flaccid. They are threatened by Pyongyang and don’t seek to promote the very initiative that threatens Beijing & Pyongyang.

Stage one: U.S. and regional allies must deploy faster interceptors to kill North Korean ICBM’s in either their launch or boost phase. That means unleashing our Aegis-class destroyers. Stage two: regime change in North Korea, unification of the peninsula.

Little Kim’s program advances; if he can’t launch, he can’t build reliable threats.